Music and Controversy: The Cycle Continues
By Jill Shirley
~newest controversial artist is Janet Jackson due to her performance at the Super Bowl
~Controversy seems to help artists sell their music
~the media exploit this cycle of controversy-anger-$$$
~Elvis shaking his booty while singing rock and roll on Ed Sullivan was a big deal
~the cameramen were told to shoot him from the waist up only
~the Beatles’ long hair caused women to gasp and men to shake their heads
~the Rolling Stones’ had sexual lyrics and were not allowed to play some of their songs in China (such as “Let’s Spend the Night Together”)
~the standards change when someone comes along and pushes the envelope farther than any previous artist
~artists set a precedent, and future artists try and make a name for themselves by shattering the old precedent and creating their own
~what people who complain about these artists do not seem to understand is that the more they yell, the more consumers want to buy the album to see what the big deal really is